Not everything is about money. If it were, we’d be merrily sending our oldies off to assisted dying hubs to free up the social care budget. The fishing industry is one of those parts of public life that is about more than raw GDP. But Keir Starmer has handed over access to British waters for another full 12 years in return for what he deems more lucrative EU concessions. It’s a mistake, because fishing is about more than cash. It’s about what it means for us to be a free and confident country.
There is something more than a little irksome about letting foreign fishermen into our waters in return for faster passport gates, especially when it’s going to make this declining industry worse off
For a start, there’s the obvious point about sovereignty. Fish in British waters are our resource. Foreign fishermen have little interest in ensuring our stocks remain at sustainable levels.
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